The One On The Right. A Story About The Thief On The Cross - Mike Criswell

We'll start again this evening by just thanking you for being

here. We have a good audience for

Wednesday, you know, sometimes they call Wednesday hump day but

really in my book is probably more slump day because people

are tired. And you know, you've now been

coming to Services some of you probably every time here for,

you know, the last several nights and on last Sunday and

we're kind of in the middle of the meeting.

But I'm glad you're here tonight and I appreciate so very much

your attendance and also your interest in the gospel and in

just Learning about the scriptures.

Now tonight we're going to do something a little bit

different. You're different.

Usually, I like to do expository lessons where we just take the

text and go through it verse by verse.

And tonight I'm going to do something different.

First of all, I'm going to do a PowerPoint, which I have it done

here yet so the equipment of course, is a little bit new for

me, but secondly, I'm going to give a new study that I've never

given before fact, I just finished it up this afternoon

and I'm sure it needs a lot of tweaking, but you're going to

get the rough draft tonight. Because I hope in the future to

preach this and study this in other places where I go

including my home congregation. But I want us to talk tonight

about arguably one of the most controversial topics and figures

in all of the New Testament. You know, there are a lot of

people in the New Testament who have interesting stories behind

them, Peter, for example, that we've discussed in a couple of

lessons, and of course, others in the New Testament, especially

But I want tonight to look at the thief on the cross.

You know, that's a very interesting character.

He's an interesting individual. Because what we see is, we see a

man who was obviously steeped in sin, a very unrighteous Wicked,

Man, and yet somehow Against All Odds, he finds himself next to

Jesus, on the cross being crucified.

And then according to our faith, we believe that he found himself

in Paradise With Jesus as well. Now that individual is an

interesting character, not so much because of what Jesus did

to him or for him. But because it represents, I

think sometimes our misunderstanding of the

scriptures there have been a lot of theories, concocted around

the thief on the cross and you know, the various ideas about

his salvation. And so I want us tonight to sort

of analyze, the thief on the cross, and look at what this man

was and who he was? And what Jesus said to him and

why it was that this man was saved.

What we're going to stick pretty close tonight to our points and

I always put too much on a PowerPoint slide.

But I do that for a purpose because it's Wallace harder on

the audience. I download things to a site

called author stream and I want people who just log onto author

stream and look at PowerPoint slides to know exactly where I'm

going exactly what I've said. So you'll have to bear with me

tonight. Hopefully from the conversation

will have about this. You'll pick this up.

I know the text is going to be pretty small.

The fonts going to be pretty hard to read, but here's the

points tonight that we want to ponder.

Number one, who were the two thieves number two.

Why are so many people interested in?

At least one of these particular thieves number three was the

thief on the cross. Really saved number for what

relationship did this thief possessed with the old Mosaic

system. Number five, what relationship

did he possess? With Jesus, or did he come to

know with Jesus? And then number six, if the

thief was saved, how does this impact our Salvation today?

Now, we won't necessarily look at every one of these points in

detail or necessarily in this order, but I hope that, by the

time we kind of finish our study tonight, you will have at least

a view about what, at least, I believe about these points.

Well, let's first of all, look, not at the single thief, the

thief that was saved. But let's look in just In

general at the thieves. That surrounded.

Jesus. Now typically we focus in the

religious World on the thief that was saved but, you know,

there was another thief there as well.

In fact, I think his life would make a very interesting study

because while one Thief came to accept Jesus Christ.

The other came to revile Jesus Christ.

But what about these two things? Well, first of all these two

thieves probably had been what some of the worst people of

society. We know that they were robbers

and Likely, since they are crucified, they probably had

other crimes to their credit as well.

Maybe even murder because history tells us in some areas

that Rome usually getting crucified.

Someone who had just stolen something, but nonetheless,

these men are robbers. They're probably even cohorts of

Barabbas. You remember, Barabbas was the

one who for had for Insurrection have been thrown in jail and

prison and really should have been here on the cross for Jesus

ended up there. That day, but the Jews that ask

for Barabbas to be released from jail from prison set free and

they wanted Jesus crucified instead.

So it's very likely that these three individuals should have

gone together in sort of a lump sum nonetheless.

Now we have Jesus in the middle and we have these two thieves to

the side. Now there's something very

interesting that has nothing really to do with our study

tonight but I'm going to throw this in because I find it

interesting. You know, when we think about

Barabbas You know, his name means the son of the father bar

of us. You remember Sunday?

We talked about Simon being the son of John.

Bar Jonah, will Barabbas means the son of the father and it's

sort of this Twist of irony to me that the Jews chose to

release into the world, the son of the father.

But really chose to crucify the father son.

And so here are these two thieves be, you know, on the

spot, blankie the father-son, or Jesus Christ.

The Son of God and both of these thieves at first seemed to mock

Jesus. In fact, it seems that, you

know, initially neither one of them want to give credit to

Jesus or accept who he is, but somewhere in that long hour of

Agony on the cross, one of them has a change of mind.

He begins to show remorse, and even comes to acknowledge Jesus

as a king who's going to enter his kingdom and even to some

degree and knowledge has that Jesus has some way that he can

save him on a spiritual level. And so, then again, it's very

interesting. These two thieves and the

contrast they have. Well, you know, all of that

proves that really prophecy is correct.

Because over there in the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 53, a great

chapter about the death of Jesus.

He is said to die or we was going to die, you know, with the

transgressors. Well, here he is literally

numbered with the transgressors. I want to read the account, just

The brief account in Luke's gospel, you can find little

tidbits. Also, in other gospels about

these two thieves, but in Luke 23, we find I think, probably

the most complete account it says, and one of the criminals

who was hanging there was hurling abuse at him saying, are

you not the Christ? Save yourself and us, but the

answer. The other answered rather and

rebuking him said, do you not even fear God?

Now obviously, this is after, you know, No, this one who is on

the right side of things. Begin to study.

His own condition and begins to look at Jesus and who he really

was? So now, one Thief begins to take

up for Jesus, whereas previously both had reviled Jesus.

But the one Thief says listen to.

Why do you talking about? Why are you acting this way

toward this man Jesus Christ. He says, don't you even fear God

since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

And then notice what he says he says, and we indeed justly For

we are receiving what we deserve for our Deeds, but this man has

done nothing wrong. And he was saying, Jesus.

Remember me, when you come into your kingdom, and he said to

him, Jesus says to him, truly, I say to you today, you will be

with me in Paradise, so it's a very interesting conversation

that first of all goes on between the two thieves.

And then, of course, the thief, then with Jesus and how that

Jesus rewards this man's penitent Behavior by saying,

you're going to be with me in Paradise.

Now, before we look at the details of this, why are so many

interested in this one Thief? You know, I probably have heard

maybe all of one or two sermons in my lifetime on the evil

thief. And yet when I talk to friends

in the religious World, especially the idea of the

thief, on the cross comes up quite frequently.

Why are we interested in this thief?

On the cross that apparently has a repentant heart and whom

apparently Jesus saves. Well, I think there are at least

four reasons at least these are ones that I've kind of concocted

into my own mind and I don't know that I think like everyone

else. But nonetheless, I think there

are four reasons perhaps that these this figure and Triggs

intrigues Us. Number one I'm going to call

that the sociological reason you know the this thief.

This this thief that has this penitent change that comes about

him represents. I think the sin that we often

see in In our culture, in our society.

You know, this man was an evil, man.

All of those in Rome, even the Jews.

Recognize this man, as an evil man, he was the worst of

society. And of course, today we have

those in our society who kind of are at the bottom and they, they

intrigued us. So maybe at least for some, this

man represents. You know, what Society can

really fall to number two? I'm going to say the

philosophical reason of the philosophical reason is, I think

more along the Up up where this thief finds himself and the

introspection that this thief has, you know, really, when we

think about death, it's very serious.

And most of us, I think, when we think about death, or maybe, if

you've been around those who are dying, they become much less

frivolous, and that's exactly what happens with this

particular Thief. He begins to think quite

seriously about his eternal State and begins to rebuke the

other thief. And even asked, Jesus, listen.

I know you're a king of some kind.

Will you allow me to be in your kingdom when you enter into

that? So, this man, obviously, had

some philosophical things. Some deep philosophical,

thoughts going on. I think there's also a

theological reason that we're interested because, you know,

when we see this thief on the cross, no matter what, we end up

believing about his salvation or how he was saved.

We see the grace and the mercy of a loving God.

How can God takes someone if this so close?

So close to his death and, you know, a man.

Seems unredeemable and yet, he is redeemed, he saved.

And we see the Abundant mercy and grace of God being poured

out on this thief. So, obviously, from a

theological perspective, this thief means a lot as we study

him, but I think there's one more reason and I don't want to

be pejorative. I don't want to poke, you know,

accusing fingers at anyone. But typically, when I discuss

the thief on the cross, with my friends, they're interested in

the way. This man was saved simply

Because of their argument that we do not have to be baptized to

be saved. And that typically is what I

hear. I don't hear so much about the

other reasons or about the depth of God's grace and mercy as much

as it is, seemingly a justification for us today on

this side of the Cross, not to do what Jesus asks us to do.

So that's really where I want to analyze the situation tonight.

Now here's the way, the syllogism goes.

Now some of the syllogism is just a way of stating Some

logical facts if a and b are true.

Then supposedly, see is true. By the way, a syllogism can be

mistaken. And I think that's what this is

when people use this argumentation.

But here's the argumentation that I hear quite frequently.

When I talk about the thief on the cross with folks, they'll

say, you know, the thief on the cross was never baptized, he was

not baptized and so, then when we look at this thief, he did

not enter the Waters of baptism and yet Jesus premise to say,

Saves the thief on the cross. So premise one, this thief was

not baptized permits to this thief was saved.

Therefore we can be saved today without baptism.

Now on the surface, that sounds fairly logical.

But now a syllogism has to also take into consideration, the

facts surrounding the premises. And so as we're going to notice

the syllogism breaks down because of several reasons and

we want to start looking at those now.

First of all, Just talk about the thief on the cross and

whether he really was saved, you know, of course, there's the

conversation that Jesus has today, you will be with me.

In Paradise is Jesus. Just a plea saying, well, you

know, today you're going to be dead like I'm going to be dead.

Was there something more to that was Jesus really saving the

thief on the cross, why they clear?

The answer is yes because I think when we look at the idea

of Paradise in the scriptures and that's interesting study, we

won't go into it in depth but it truly Truly is a place of Joy.

It's a place of great rejoicing and I think, as well notice in a

moment, our Paradigm for that is going to be Luke 16 where that

we have the story of the rich, man, the account of the rich,

man and Lazarus. So what is Paradise?

Well, Paradise is, shall we say the good part of The Departed

Realm of the Dead? You see when we die having

lived? Our Fate is fixed.

And according to Luke 16, we enter.

Either as we go into the realm of the Dead, which is called,

the hadean realm, remember Sunday, we talked about Jesus

saying he would go into the hadean realm and even the gates

of Hades or Hades will not Prevail against him.

Jesus was going to go into the Departed Realm of the dead.

He was actually going to die. But apparently according to Luke

16 that place of The Departed dead has, shall we say, two

parts there appears to be from a human perspective of language, a

great goal. If between the two, you can't

cross back and forth. But those who are righteous.

Such as Lazarus, was in Luke 16, go to a place called Paradise.

It's also called Abraham's bosom, but those who are wicked,

go to torment or to Taurus. Well, they're apparently, you

will wait the final judgment and then, of course, the final fate.

So, in other words, when Jesus says today, you're going to be

with imperative. Well, with me in Paradise.

I think we can in An emperor that Jesus himself is going to

be in Paradise. That's what it means when he

went into the hadean realm, he did not go to the fires of Hell,

by the way, which I've heard some radio preachers, try to

say, he went to paradise and along with him, he took the

thief on the cross who was saved.

And so, again, unsafe people don't end up in Paradise,

theologically speaking. So, was this man saved?

Yes, I believe he was safe. Now, here's where we begin to

the end to get in. To a little bit more, the

doctrinal side and that is, why was the thief on the cross?

Baptized? Now we'll talk in a moment about

you know what, Covenant, he lived under and that sort of

thing, but was the thief on the cross baptized now typically,

one would say, remember the syllogism.

The thief was not baptized therefore I don't have to be

baptized either today. That's kind of the argument

people who want to diminish the importance.

Yeah, the necessity of baptism would say well, the thief was

Baptized do you have you ever thought about that?

Because in reality that assertion is an unproven

unwarranted assertion? We cannot say that the thief on

the cross was not baptized. Now, we can say that the thief

on the cross was not baptized with New Testament, baptism,

that's true. But you realize that John the

Forerunner of Jesus baptized for the remission of sins.

You'll find that Mark 14 and so it is possible just as Possible

as he wasn't that the thief on the cross was baptized.

Now I'm not making a case that he was baptized.

I'm just saying that when people argue that the thief on the

cross was not baptized, that could be very likely a

fallacious argument because he very well, may have been

baptized. Now, let's look at the

scriptures. That would at least give some

circumstantial evidence in that direction.

In Matthew chapter 3, it speaks of all of Jerusalem and Judea

Matthew 3 · chapter mention

Going out and all of the region about going out and were

baptized by John. Now, of course, we have to allow

that this language does not include every single human being

alive in Jerusalem and Judea. But we also have to allow that

there are great masses of people going out and being baptized by

John, having heard his preaching.

And so it is possible. Anyway, that the thief was

baptized in Luke 7. We find it when all the people

heard him, even the tax collectors.

Actors Justified God, having been baptized with the baptism

of John. And so again Paul I'm not

arguing that the thief was baptized.

I'm saying that to say the thief was not baptized is not where we

want to begin the discussion because again we can't prove

that either way. We don't know if the thief was

baptized with John's baptism, which by the way was for the

remission of sins and was commanded for those on the other

side of the Cross. Now the site of the cross that

were on He's going to make a huge difference in this

discussion and in our study tonight because those baptized

for those living on the other side before Jesus died were

under one Covenant as well. Notice and those who live this

side as in today, from Jesus death on live under a New

Covenant. So then what do we learn?

Well, if the thief was baptized then of course he was completing

the command for that time. Now, obviously, if he was

baptized, he repented, he We need go on the repentance, but

again, it would have been the baptism of John.

John's baptism is only valid before the cross, and, of

course, that's a great study in and of itself.

But the point, again, I'm making is that before we just make a

rash statement about this thief, we have to be careful that we

don't consider all the facts. So the thief on the cross, then

when we talk about his baptism or lack thereof, is not going to

be a paradigm for our Salvation. Today, he again live Under

another Covenant as well. Notice, he had a special

relationship with Jesus as will notice.

And so, then it is something we can learn lessons from, but I

don't believe we can begin the argue about our salvation, by

beginning with the thief on the cross.

Now, here's something we need to understand until Jesus died on

the cross and shed his blood. The old Covenant was still an

effect, the thief died under the old wall.

You know, today we live under a New Covenant in Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 8 · chapter mention

8. Verse 8, we find the promise of

this New Covenant, in fact that begins really with Jeremiah

Jeremiah 31:31

31:31, Jeremiah prophesied. That there will be coming a day

when a new covenant, not the Mosaic law, but a New Covenant

would be given to God's people. But in Hebrews 8 verse 8, it

Hebrews 8:8

says, and finding fault with them.

That is the people God said, behold the days come when I will

make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the

House of Judah. So we know that the Jews look

for a new covenant. We know, today we are under that

New Covenant from what the New Testament tells us.

We live under the New Covenant and Jesus was the mediator of

that new covenant. Now a mediator is one that

brings it into effect and until Jesus died of course that

Covenant was not in effect. So when Jesus spoke with that

man he was still alive. He was under the old Covenant,

Hebrews 9 verse 15 says and for this cause he that is Christ is

Hebrews 9:15

the mediator of the New Testament that by means of

death, by the Redemption of the transgressions that were under

the first testament. They were all they, that works

are called might receive the promise of Eternal inheritance

and that, also in Hebrews 12, 24 Jesus is the mediator of the New

Covenant and so then we see then that Jesus was going to bring in

a New Covenant, but trips like a will is not involve or Not in

power until that the the person who makes it dies.

So this man, the thief was living under a time before Jesus

died and the new will came into effect so he therefore was under

the Old Law. Now the thief died under the Old

Testament and of course, there must be of necessity, the death

of the one who makes the will before that will comes into

effect. When Jesus again, spoke to the

thief, on the cross, they both were Alive under the Old Law.

You know, Jesus was born under the old wall.

In fact, relations tells us, he was born under the law, born of

a woman and he submitted himself to the law, but that law of

course was going to eventually come to an end.

And so here's what we need to learn.

We must not attempt to justify ourselves today by going back to

the old wall, whether that is specifically the Old Testament

or a case example of Salvation, under the old, The law was taken

out of the way it was nailed to the cross.

Paul says, in Colossians, 2:14 and, of course, Paul even warned

the Galatians that if they sought to be justified by the

law, they had fallen from the grace system that God was

bringing in through Jesus. Now, here's another point we

need to consider. It doesn't really matter what

this man, this thief on the cross and how he was saved

directly anyway because, you know, Jesus had the power to

forgive sins and Jesus. Us could tell someone at that

period, your sins are forgiven and then tell us today.

But here's what you need to do to be saved.

And so we dare not go back and use a case like this, to prove

what we need to do to be saved today, but Jesus had the power

to forgive sins. In fact, you'll find on various

occasions. In Mark, chapter 9 for time

Mark 9 · chapter mention

sake. I won't read that, but also in

Luke 7, you'll find that on at least two occasions.

Jesus, forgave people of their sins.

So Jesus had Right? Even under the law of Moses to

forgive people of their sins and did on various occasions.

And so then he had the right to at the very last moment of the

thief's life pronounce him to be sinless or to be forgiven

anyway, and therefore, enjoy the Bliss of paradise.

Now, we are not the thief today and I think that's one of the

things that we have to look at when we interpret any Bible

passage. We have to look at the context.

We have to look at to whom the passage was written.

We have to look at what other passages in the scripture.

Say that's what we call. Hermeneutics.

Are biblical interpretation, now, no matter what, Jesus said

to the thief on the cross, we are not that thief.

And so, what Jesus says to that, these may be interesting, it may

even be applicable if we can find passages that demand that,

but we are not that Thief, so we at least have to bear in mind

that that is not written. Wrecked lie to us.

It's there for our learning, of course, but it's not necessarily

what we must do to be saved. Well, what do we need to do to

be safe today? Well, we must be baptized, we

must be, there's no way around it.

In Matthew chapter 28, as Jesus gave the Great Commission.

Matthew 28 · chapter mention

One of the last things Jesus says to his Apostles is go and

preach to All Nations and baptize them in the name of the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

He commands them to baptize. Now, this is after the thief is

already dead and buried. This is after Jesus has arisen

from the dead. This is the latest teaching so

to speak and Jesus says baptism is absolutely essential in Mark.

Mark 16:16

16 verse 16, he who believes Jesus says and is baptized will

be saved. Now again, this is after the

thief has already been pronounced saved, this is after

Jesus death, burial and Resurrection.

Correction. This is the latest word from the

Savior and he says he that believeth and is baptized shall

be saved. And so then no matter what Jesus

had said to, the people previous those two examples or to the

thief, this then supersedes that because this is the latest word

from Jesus. Now what do we find as we go

through the church history? Well, on the day of Pentecost,

when the church was established in Acts chapter 2, when those

Acts 2 · chapter mention

that were listening to Peter's, Jean heard the gospel, preached,

they were cut to the heart, they with Wicked handshake crucified,

the Lord Of Glory and so they cried out men and Brethren.

What shall we do? And Peter says repent and be

baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the

Forgiveness of your sins. Now, this is long after the

thief on the cross has been pronounced on the cross saved.

This is again, the latest word From the apostolic Authority

about, what needs to be done to be safe.

And so you see if we don't go back to the Old Testament or to

that scenario of the Cross and the thief to prove what then we

must do today. We look to the apostles Doctrine

in Acts. 2:42 immediately, when the church was established, it

Acts 2:42

says, they continued steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine, Peter

later on many years, after his foibles and Weakness.

As a young disciple would write this at an older age.

He says as he speaks of Noah and the flood and how the waterborne

Noah up and saved him. He says, corresponding to that

baptism. Now saves, you not the removal

of the dirt of the flesh but the appeal to God for a good

conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

And so Peter long after the church was established is still

preaching and still writing that we must be.

Sized to be saved. Now, is there anything then that

we can learn from the people on the cross?

Is it meaningless? Well, no, in fact, it's really

quite significant. And I want to spend the last

just a few minutes on the typical nature of the Salvation

of the thief on the cross. Now, types and data types are

types and shadows are replete in the Old Testament as they point

to Jesus. For example, when we think of,

you know, the the Lamb of God for Remembering John 1:29, John

John 1:29

sees Jesus coming, he said, Behold the Lamb of God that

takes away the sins of the world now.

Where did John pick that up? Well, he picked that up,

obviously, from the Old Law, because the lamb, for example,

the Passover Lamb, surely pointed toward the Fulfillment

that ultimately would come in Jesus Christ.

He is the Fulfillment of the Lamb, Motif, and, of course,

over and over in the Old Testament, you find things that

that remind us are point us to things that are realities in the

New Testament. The Tabernacle, for example,

with its holy place and most holy Place, Hebrews indicates

that that is a was a type of the church and Heaven.

The priesthood, the aaronic priesthood, the levitical

priesthood in the Old Testament points toward the priesthood of

Believers and which of course we enjoy today as Christians.

We can approach God In Prayer, the high priest of the Old

Testament pointed ultimately to that Mediator, Jesus Christ.

Who is the one that stands? As we are priests between us and

God. He is the high priest and so

over and over and over. We see these pictures and the

Old Testament that are typical of the reality in the New

Testament. Now we have to be careful with

types. In fact we could do a whole

study on that I suppose and again I even hesitated to call

the thief on the cross is salvation at tight.

I think it's if there's some parallels there.

It may not be a type in the truest sense, but there are some

things that I think are very interesting as we look at how

the thief was saved and how the New Testament tells us we are

saved today. Now, truly the thief lived under

the old Covenant. He was never under the New

Covenant, the thief again was you know directly pronounced

being saved by Jesus. We don't have that today we have

to comply with the New Covenant and with the words of Jesus

Through the book. But there Similarities that I

think are very interesting and very important.

Now, again back to this idea of the type, you know, a type is

kind of a picture here. We find a little chart, an

ancient chart Old Chart where of course John 3:14 is quoted where

John 3:14

it says that as Moses lifted up, the serpent in the wilderness so

must the son of man be lifted up.

You know the way I like to look at types and you'll have to

excuse me. I hope I don't get too tied up

in this. We're almost done by the way but

you know, a type and a shadow or Or type and enter type is the

way I like The Illustrated is like a tree.

You know, if someone blindfold you and you feel a tree, you're

going to know something about it or if you turn your back to the

tree and the Sun is to your back and the tree, you can look out

over the ground and you can see the Shadow and you may recognize

that as a tree. But now, that shadow is not

going to include the various individual leaves necessarily

It's not going to necessarily show you the birds in the tree.

It's like I show you the color. There are going to be many

things even maybe fruit on that tree that the shadow never deals

with because you can't see. Clearly you're looking at a

shadow. But when you turn to the tree

and you look at it face value, you're going to see the really

reality of that tree. You're going to see the

individual leaves are going to see the veins.

In the leaves, are going to see the color.

You're going to see, maybe even the squirrel or a bird in that

tree. That's the real thing you see.

Well, that's kind of the way the Old Testament and the New

Testament is it's been said that the Old Testament is the New

Testament, concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament

revealed. So when we look at those things

under the old those ordinances and those various systems under

the old wall, and then we turn to Jesus.

We say, oh, that's what it was pointing to.

You know, we see the Tabernacle in the priesthood and then we

turn over here and look at the New Testament.

He's like, oh, that's what was really be pointed towards and of

course, that's a beautiful thing.

If That he types in the Old Testament, but how is this

thief? Think there are things that we

can learn or that point toward at least, to some degree, our

own salvation today. Well, let's read the account.

One more time, we read in the beginning but it says I have one

of the criminals who were hanged who was hanged there was hurling

abuse at him saying, are you not the Christ, save yourself and us

but the other answer and rebuking him said, do you not

Not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of

condemnation and we indeed justly for we are receiving what

we deserve of our Deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.

And he was saying to Jesus, Remember me, when you come into

your kingdom and he said to him, truly, I say to you, you shall

be with me in Paradise. So, here, we have that same

little scenario and we have again, the change of heart, that

kind of comes over this thief on the cross as he begins to

recognize something. About Jesus.

And as he begins to cry out to the only source of help that was

there and could have ever helped him?

Well, here's what we know about this thief, that was saved.

Number one, he had heard enough somewhere to know that Jesus was

the Messiah, or maybe he had observed enough to know that

Jesus was the Messiah. How do we know that he thought?

Jesus was the Messiah because he knew that Jesus had some kind of

a spiritual Kingdom. Now, only the Messiah was going

to have that At. So, when we look at what the

thief says, and we read the implications of that, it becomes

a very rich colorful picture, he believed that Jesus was deity.

Now, how do I know that? Because here, emits, to the

other, the other Thief that Jesus was not deserving of this

punishment. He knew Jesus was special, he

knew. Jesus apparently was sinless.

Also, we see the change of heart.

That's called repentance of this man, and we see that.

Jesus is confessed basically to be The Son of God or deity,

because this thief says, remember me when you come into

your kingdom. Now, I don't know how much the

thief knew in Nuance or in very little detail.

Small minutely tail, but he knew enough to know that Jesus was

the only salvation that he had there on the cross.

So, what we might say about the repentant Thief, is that he

heard, he believed he repented, he confessed and he died with

Jesus. Us in death.

Now that's very interesting because we're going to notice in

the moment, we die with Jesus in death as well, but it's a

different type of death. Well, what else can we say about

the thief? Well, yes, he heard believed he

repented, he confessed, but he died to sin by the physical

death that he died. In other words when he died, he

wasn't going to send any more, he died to sin.

Now that's very interesting as well because we in the waters of

baptism. Died to sin.

So how are we saved? And how does the thief on the

cross, give us insight into our own salvation?

Well, we hear the gospel, do we? Not Romans 10:17, we believe the

Romans 10:17

gospel Hebrews 11:6, we repent of our sins, Luke 13, Verse 3.

Hebrews 11:6 Luke 13:3

We confess Jesus as the Son of God.

Matthew, 10:32, and what happens?

We died with Christ in baptism. The, how do I know that?

Well, look what Paul says it. Romans 6.

He says our do you not know that all of us who have been baptized

into Christ? Jesus have been baptized into

his death, baptism is a form of death.

Therefore, we have been buried with him, through baptism into

death, so that lack like as Christ or that as Christ was

raised from the dead, through the glory of the father.

So we too might walk in newness of life.

For we have before, if we have become United with him in the

likeness of his death, certainly We shall also be in the likeness

of his resurrection. So what's Paul saying here, by

the way, Romans 6 is one of those beautiful chapters they

give us. I think the clearest picture of

what baptism really is, it is a form of the death, the burial,

and the resurrection of Jesus. We die to our sins were buried

in the waters of baptism and we rise to walk in newness of life

and so when we are baptized, we die with Jesus in baptism as

Jesus died. Was very Buried.

So, we die to our sin and we are buried.

Well, what else? Well again, we died to sin as I

just noted in baptism. How do we know this?

Romans 6, verse 6. Knowing this, that our old man

Romans 6:6

is crucified with Christ or crucified with him that the body

of sin might be done away. So that we should no longer be

slaves to sin for. He who has died has been freed

from sin and so you see in the waters of baptism, We died to

sin, we are buried with Christ and of course, we're raised to

walk in newness of life. So, in conclusion this evening,

what does the thief on the cross?

Teach us, what can we learn about the thief on the cross?

Well, number one, the thief on the cross may or may not have

been baptized, but neither really doesn't matter in the

sense, that that is not the Paradigm for our Salvation

today. Number two, the thief on the

cross died, under another law, then what we live under today?

And just as we do not abide by the Articles of the

Confederation that perhaps back before independence.

So, that's the, we do not look back to the Old Testament to

prove theologically what we do, either the thief salvation

provides some parallels, but it's not a pattern for what we

do to be saved, while something they point to another thing.

That thing, that is the initial starting point is not

necessarily that which the end product does.

And I don't know if that makes any sense, but the point is is

just because the thief could be saved by Jesus, speaking to him,

does not mean, that's what Jesus says to us today, through his

word Jesus say, the thief, but this does not change what Jesus

says today to us. In order to in how we can be

saved. And then, of course, lastly.

We can only contact the blood of Jesus in baptism.

There is no other way in the New Testament that we are told or

optioned, so that we may contact the blood of Jesus, except for,

in baptism. In fact, we can't even contact

the death of Jesus anywhere. Other than in the waters of

baptism in Romans 6 makes that extremely Vivid.

And so then this evening when they do, you're talking to your

friends or maybe believe this yourself and Well, you know, the

thief on the cross was saved and he wasn't baptized there for

maybe God will just save me, you know, God can do whatever he

wants. But when God gives a strict

command and it is law in his new testament pattern, I think we

would be well off to obey, that rather than relying on a hunch

or relying on false logic, about some case, such as the thief, on

the cross, in the New Testament, We thank you for listening to

our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.

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